You won't get one cheap generally. People buy old mattresses, get free foam offcuts from mattress stores and sew them up into a bag, etc. There are cheap ways to do it; we would all love to get a big fat mat like the ones we had in school but apparently the $$ for schools project distorted the market.

On 10/02/2012 superstu wrote:>Head on down to your local Salvos or Vinnies and pick up a couple of skanky>mattresses. The ones with kiddie pee stains are the best.>
Perhaps you could save some for him from the ones collected during the Sutherland Shire Crag Clean-Up on Sunday? ;-)

Yeah, I never had any trouble aquiring mats, there's funny economics involved. They are free to buy, but cost between $50 an $80 to dump at the tip.

I got mine at the Salvo's (or some other charity shop). People were dumping them there, and the Salvo's folk had an OHandS thing about not being allowed to sell them on.

2 layers of foam mattress, topped by a nice firm springy one (all stacked in a sweet interlocking pattern) is really, really good to fall on. Probably better than any of the gucci gym mats I've seen at other woodys.

Here's a tip worthy of Better Homes and Gardens;

When it comes time to get rid of your old mats, don't blow your money on tip fees. Instead, chop your mats into managable pieces and distribute them amongst all your neighbours' bins on rubbish night.............just like disposing of a body :)

p.s. If your mat space has walls (or anything else to hold the mats together and prevent gaps opening up, you can save money by skipping a canvas cover. In fact, its much nicer to fall onto if you don't have one.